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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

Homosexuality for Dummies

Ganesh

22:43 / 24.09.01

If you've read my ranty "What you do is like murder" thread up in the Conversation, you'll be aware that I've just had a somewhat fraught telephone exchange with my sixtysomething Scottish Baptist maiden aunt, who's recently been told that I'm gay. She wants to send me Biblical stuff on the grounds that it'll change my ways; I want to send her info on homosexuality on the grounds that it'll change her mind. Or at least stop her haranguing me. I agreed to read whatever religious tracts on the condition that she read whatever I send her.

So what do I send her? While it's tempting to pop 'Hot Leather Fistdaddies Monthly' into the post, I ought to find something fairly tame in the 'How To Cope With Your Gay Relative' line - ideally something which at least addresses the issue of religious differences.

Can anyone recommend anything?

autopilot disengaged

23:18 / 24.09.01

how about a novel? can't actually think of anything ideally suited for the missionary purpose, right now - but the format might encourage empathy...

Ganesh

00:02 / 25.09.01

She's pretty concrete in her thinking, and would probably take fiction 100% literally. I'll browse the Gay & Lesbian sections of some major bookshops tomorrow and see what comes up. I think a fairly readable format with lots of 'case studies' would be best. And not too many diagrams...

Jackie Susann

00:59 / 25.09.01

There's an australian book called (i think) 'when your child is gay', which is basically a collection of stories compiled by pflag from parents and families about their reactions to children/sibling/etc. coming out. i don't know if it's available overseas but something similar probably is. might be good, some of the stories are about reconciling religious beliefs with love for queer family members.

Shortfatdyke

06:30 / 25.09.01

there's an organisation called parent's friend (based in leeds, i think) who inform and support families of us disgusting sexual deviants. i've heard they're pretty good, but i haven't read their literature.

Ganesh

06:45 / 25.09.01

She'd never actually consider joining anything like a 'support group' (I couldn't even persuade her to see her own doctor when she was depressed, because "the other Church people would talk") but she might read the literature. The pflag stuff sounds ideal: I wonder if there's a British version from the likes of Stonewall?

Not Here Still

15:48 / 25.09.01

Seeing as this is all to do with the Old Fella up above with a beard and a man on his right hand, you might want to try sending her a book from the Lesbian And Gay Christian Movement.

I've just scooted through looking at the titles of some of the books they mention on their website, but they look like they might help fight fire with fire.

But really, couldn't you just send her a copy of Double Fist Fun?

Not Here Still

16:01 / 25.09.01

Bollocks. Just read the actual thread and you say you don't want to Raise the Lord again.
But then again, here you say you do.
Oh, God I'm confused now.

Well, just send her the fisting magazine then...

Ganesh

18:04 / 25.09.01

'Raise The Lord'? Well, ideally I'd love her to alter her views on homosexuality being a sin worthy of Hell. Failing that, I want to find something that'll help her relax into the idea a little, and stop hassling me about my immortal soul.

Not Here Still

18:12 / 25.09.01

Well have a look at that link then. Click on the books bit and there will be about five books which *may* change her mind...

Not Here Still

15:44 / 26.09.01

BTW, I'd just like to stress that I'm not a Christian.

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